British Airways Avios is one of the most versatile frequent flyer currencies available to Canadians, offering access to oneworld alliance partners and a handful of non-affiliated airlines. British Airways offers members the ability to purchase Avios directly, and with the right redemption in mind, doing so can be a savvy move.
If you want to cut to the chase, click here to purchase Avios and see if there are any current bonus promotions available to you. Otherwise, read on.
The Basics of Buying British Airways Avios
Interestingly, the purchasing process for Avios is hosted at the avios.com legacy website here.
The base cost of purchasing Avios varies by quantity, but generally works out to roughly 2.3 to 3.1 cents USD per Avios, depending on how many you buy. At these rates, purchasing rarely makes sense.
To even get the 2.3 USD cents per point rate, you’d have to part with a whopping $4600 USD, or ~$6450 CAD. That’s not worth it.
Periodically, British Airways runs promotions offering bonus Avios points on top of your purchase. These promotions have historically offered incentives of up to 40%, bringing the effective cost at the best tiers down to around 1.64 cents USD per Avios, which can make more sense if you need to top up your Avios balance. However, these sales are relatively infrequent compared to other programs as they tend to appear only a handful of times per year, and usually for very short windows of just a few days.
British Airways caps how many Avios you can purchase per British Airways Club member per calendar year at 200,000 Avios, though the limit is effectively raised during promotional periods, with bonus Avios not counting toward the cap. Note that you must have at least 1 Avios in your account, or have collected or redeemed Avios in the past 36 months, in order to make a purchase.
We value British Airways Avios at approximately 2 cents per point CAD. Even during a 40% bonus promotion, the purchase cost comes in near or slightly below this baseline, so make sure the math works for your specific redemption before pulling the trigger.
You can purchase British Airways Avios here.
What Credit Card Should I Buy British Airways Avios With?
Avios purchases are processed through Points.com, which does not code as a travel or airline purchase. Since it doesn’t code as a British Airways purchase, the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card won’t earn bonus Avios on this purchase, so use any card with a solid base earning rate instead, or a card in which you are working towards a welcome bonus via a minimum spending requirement.
Since Canadian accounts are charged in USD, a credit card with no foreign transaction fees is worth considering. Better yet would be a US-issued credit card already denominated in US dollars. We have a guide on how you can get US credit cards as a Canadian, and a US credit card comparison tool for more information.
Because you buy these points directly from Avios.com instead of Points.com, you won’t be subjected to GST or HST charges.
When Should I Buy British Airways Avios?
As with any time you are considering buying points, you shouldn’t buy for fear of missing out on a promotion. You need a solid use case.
Topping Up For a Flight Redemption
The most common and recommended time to purchase Avios is when you need a few more to complete your next redemption. Avios purchases can take up to three business days to appear in your account, so make sure you’re not racing against disappearing award space, or else you might end up disappointed.
Be warned: the fuel surcharges on British Airways’ own redemptions are absolutely brutal unless you’re originating in a surcharge-restricting market such as Brazil. The above image is of $410 in taxes and fees for a flight under 7 hours from Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to London Heathrow (LHR).
With that in mind, you want to be looking for partner award redemption, which encompasses a wide range of popular airlines, as British Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance.
Saving Money Versus Paying Cash
For premium cabin redemptions, buying Avios can represent a meaningful discount – but the value is almost always in Avios partner airline redemptions, not on British Airways’ own metal. BA charges notoriously high carrier surcharges on its own flights that can severely erode the value of a redemption.
Partners like Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, and Finnair tend to offer much lower fees, and that’s where the real Avios value lies, particularly if you are transferring Avios to a partner program, like Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
For example, a one-way business class ticket from Toronto to Dublin on Aer Lingus can cost 50,000 Avios on off-peak dates with relatively modest taxes and fees. Good luck finding availability, though.
Finally, Frugal Flyer does not advise purchasing Avios speculatively. Loyalty programs can change award pricing at any time.
How Else Can I Earn British Airways Avios?
Buying Avios can make sense in certain situations, but there are several more cost-effective ways to build your balance in Canada. In fact, Avios might actually be one of the easiest frequent flyer currencies to accrue in Canada.
Hold the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card
The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card is the only card in Canada that directly earns Avios. It offers a consistently strong welcome bonus, earns 3x Avios on British Airways purchases, 2x on groceries, dining, and food delivery, plus a 10% discount on British Airways cash fares.
The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card is Canada’s only co-branded British Airways credit card, earning 3x Avios on British Airways purchases, 2x on groceries, dining, and food delivery, and a 10% discount on British Airways cash fare bookings.
Cardholders who spend $30,000 in a calendar year unlock a companion voucher, making it a standout card for frequent British Airways and oneworld alliance travellers.
60,000 Avios
$10,000
$1,020+
$165
Yes
Aug 4, 2026
Transferring RBC Avion Points
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card earns flexible Avion points that transfer to British Airways Avios at a rate of 1:1. Even better, RBC regularly runs promotional transfer bonuses of up to 30%, making this one of the most efficient ways to stock up on Avios.
The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card earns flexible Avion points that can be transferred to British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, American Airlines AAdvantage, WestJet Rewards, or used against travel purchases via the fixed-rate Air Travel Redemption Schedule.
70,000 Avion points
$5,000
$1,330+
$120
Yes
Jul 15, 2026
Transferring American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to British Airways Avios at a rate of 1:1, with occasional transfer bonuses on top. Several Amex cards earn Membership Rewards, offering sizable welcome bonuses and the flexibility of Amex’s full transfer partner network:
| Credit Card | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
170,000 Membership Rewards points Estimated value: $3,400 Ends Jul 28, 2026 |
|
 |
120,000 Membership Rewards points and $150 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $2,550 |
|
 |
70,000 Membership Rewards points Estimated value: $1,400 |
|
 |
60,000 Membership Rewards points Estimated value: $1,200 |
|
 |
15,000 Membership Rewards points and $50 FlyerFunds Estimated value: $350 |
|
 |
10,000 Membership Rewards points Estimated value: $200 |
|
The American Express Platinum Card is our top recommendation here. Between its generous welcome bonus, airport lounge access, and annual travel and dining credits, it’s a powerhouse for any points collector.
Conclusion
Purchasing British Airways Avios can make sense if you have a plan in place for a specific redemption, ideally on a partner airline where surcharges are low. If you don’t have an immediate need, you’re almost always better off earning transferable points through a card that earns Avion points or Membership Rewards points and converting them to Avios points when the time comes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Avios expire after 36 months of account inactivity, and purchasing Avios counts as qualifying activity that resets the clock on your entire balance.
It can be, particularly during a bonus promotion. Ensure you have a specific redemption in mind, preferably on a partner airline to avoid BA’s high carrier surcharges, and are not purchasing speculatively.
Kirin Tsang
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